Cardboard files or file folders are commonly used in combination with metal fasteners for securing loose papers to or within the folder. Generally, such fasteners comprise an elongated central body with elongated prongs extending from opposite ends of the central body. These fasteners are generally supplied to consumers either separately from the cardboard folders, or, alternatively, with the fastener attached to the file folder. In either event, in order to assemble the fastener to the file folder, it is necessary to bend the prongs into a position normal or perpendicular to the elongated body, and then push the prongs through slots in the folder so that the body of the fastener is located on the outside of the file with the prongs extending into the inside of the folder. The prongs are then bent down against the insider surface of the file folder so as to secure the fastener to the file and facilitate closure of the folder.
One shortcoming of file folders and fasteners of the type wherein the fastener is attached to the folder prior to sale of the folder to the consumer is that assembly of the fastener to the folder is expensive and requires expensive equipment to effect the assembly. The expense is primarily attributable to the necessity to form the fastener as a flat sheet of material, to bend it so that the prongs of the fastener are located normal to the central body portion of the fastener, to push the prongs of the fastener from the outside of the folder through slots or openings in the folder and to then bend the prongs of the fastener down against the inside of the folder.
It has therefore been one objective of this invention to provide a new and improved file folder and fastener combination which may be manufactured and assembled much less expensively than heretofore possible.
Another objective of this invention has been to provide a new and improved file folder and fastener combination in which the fastener may be attached to the folder without the necessity to bend the end prongs of the fastener normal to the central body portion of the fastener in order to effect the attachment.
Another problem characteristic of all file folder and fastener combinations is that the central body portion of the fastener which is located on the outside or exposed side of a file folder tends to catch or hang up on adjacent file folders when multiple file folders are filed in a filing cabinet. This results in damage to the files and inconvenience in filing multiple files.
It has therefore been another objective of this invention to provide an improved file folder and fastener combination which avoids the problem of the central portion of a fastener hanging up on and damaging adjacent files contained in a common file cabinet.